Gambia
ratifies UN international day of peace
Written
by Alhagie Jobe
Wednesday,
07 June 2006
Members
of the National Assembly on Monday unanimously ratified the United Nation's
resolution 55/282 International Day of Peace.
Tabling
the resolution, Sheikh Tijan Hydara, the Attorney- General and Secretary
of State for Justice, said that the United Nation's by resolution 36/37
of 40 November 1981 proclaims the third Tuesday of every September to
be observed as the international day of peace.
He said
the day is expected to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace
among all nations and peoples of the world. He said from inception,
its observation has largely contributed to strengthening the ideals
of peace and alleviating tensions and causes of conflicts in the trouble
spots of our world.
According
to him, The Gambia is an active member of the United Nations and our
major commodity to the world is the peace, harmony and brotherly co-existence
which we at all times showcase and have consistently invited the larger
world community to emulate. He said the United Nations through
resolution 55/282 has firmly fixed the 21 September of every year as
the actual date for the observance of the international day of peace.
He added
that the observance of the day is expected to be a global day of ceasefire,
non-violence, and cessation of all hostilities for the duration of that
day. He said when there is peace, then there will be meaningful
development, noting that peace brings the best in us and helps us to
excel, love and appreciate each other and is the answer to hate, cruelty
and mistrust, engender friendship amongst others.
SoS Hydara
then expressed the hope that the observance of this one day of peace
will multiply itself into one week and then one month and finally year
in, year out of total peace thereby ensuring for humanity, on the long
run, a violence and hostility free world. He then revealed that
the observation of the day in The Gambia will bring harmony, and an
atmosphere of common bond, affection and peace.
The day,
he said, will help educate, promote and raise public awareness in every
appropriate manner including cooperation with the United Nations and
all matters that will ensure global peace.
In the
same vein, the National Assembly ratified the convention on African
Energy Commission (AFREC), which was also tabled by Sheikh Tijan Hydara,
the Attorney-General and Secretary of State for Justice.
According
to him, the African continent is blessed with vast natural resources
and energy resources, but most of these resources are not utilised or
harnessed to benefit the economies of the various states of the continent.
He said
the African energy commission is the successful result of our two decades
of efforts to achieve a strategic objective aimed at making energy development
one of the driving factors of a global and sustainable development likely
to strengthen the African Union and facilitate the entry of Africa in
the world economy.
SoS Hydara
emphasised that the commission is mandated to formulate policies, strategies
and develop energy plans based on sub-regional, regional and continental
development priorities as well as identification of means for their
implementation.
"The
commission will also elaborate policies, plans and projects of inter-African
co-operation in the field of human resources development, particularly
through programmes of staff training and education in the energy sector.
It will help in the establishment of a network of technical assistance
between member states and the promotion of partnerships between African
countries in the energy sector, the development of commercial, transit
and exchange of energy products and services between member states,'
he said.
SoS Hydara
maintained that the energy commission is consistent with The Gambia's
national energy policy which has been the blueprint of the legislative
and regulatory reforms carried out over the last few years, all in a
bid to provide a conducive investment climate and to improve energy
supply.
http://observer.gm/enews/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4735&Itemid=33
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